The Birth Of An Heir
by WhispersOfStarlight
Summary: "Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendous prospect. For what has happened? A miracle. You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything." - William MacNeile Dixon


**A.N: This was going to originally be a flashback for Balin in my story 'Letha' but I decided it would be far better as a stand-alone story. The song in this story is called Chi Mi na Mòrbheanna (I See the Mist Covered Mountains). It's a traditional Scottish song and rather fitting for this story and you'll see why.**

**Here is the English translation of the song:**

**'O I will see, see the great mountains,**  
**O I will see, see the lofty mountains,**  
**O I will see, see the corries,**  
**I will see the peaks under mist.**

**I will see, without delay, the place where I was born,**  
**A welcome will be put on me in the language I understand,**  
**I will receive in it joy and love when I arrive,**  
**That I would not sell for tons of gold.**

**I will see the woods, I will see the groves,**  
**I will see the fair fields, more fertile,**  
**I will see the deer at the foot of the corries**  
**Enshrouded in a mantle of mist.'**

* * *

Those were indeed dark days when the dwarfs traveled the land, scattered and homeless. The bright days were few and far between, but when they came, they were days filled with happiness and hope, for they taught us that when the night falls, the sun is never too far behind.

And one such day was when the young Prince Fili was born.

They had been on their way to the Blue Mountains, already traveling for quite some time through the rocky lowlands, taking their way slowly due to the Lady Dis's heavily pregnant state. Thorin had spent hours on end shoeing horses and fixing plows, and other farming implements to gain enough coin to purchase the ponies they now rode on.

Thorin was a few feet ahead taking the lead and Dwalin took up the rear so they would be protected from all sides.

Balin, himself, had been given the duty of leading Dis's pony for the whole of the travel and he was proud to be of service.

A groan slipped from her mouth which caused him to look sharply up at her. Balin quickly stilled the pony when another groan escaped her. He reached over and took hold of her hands.

"Milady Dis, are you well?"

She shook her head at him. "No, Master Balin. I fear that my water has just broken."

Balin's eyes widened as he looked down at her lap. Sure enough there was a dark spotever widening across her lap. She bent in half as another pain wracked her body.

"THORIN!" Balin yelled aloud. Dwalin trotted up along the other side of Dis' pony.

Just then howls rent the air around them. Dis and Balin stilled, locking eyes.

This was very bad.

"Warg!" Dwalin unhooked Grasper from his back and held it at the ready, his eyes scanning the horizon around us.

The young prince turned his pony back toward us when he saw that Dis was in obvious pain.

"Sister, what is wrong?"

She snapped at him through gritted teeth. "What does it look like! Your nephew has decided to finally grace us with his presence!"

Balin would never forget how wide Thorin's eyes got when he heard that. If it was not for the dire situation they had found themselves in, he would've laughed.

Dwalin spoke up. "If that little one is coming than we cannae move her. We need ta find shelter in a nearby cave, which we should do quickly with how close those howls were."

Thorin nodded as he moved to lift her sister from her saddle.

"Dwalin, look for a cave that has enough room for a fire."

"Aye." Dwalin hurried to complete his task.

"What shall I do, milord?" Balin inquired.

"Grab as many blankets as you can. We must keep my sister as comfortable as possible."

Balin nodded and moved quickly from pony to pony gathering the necessary supplies.

By the time he had gathered together the blankets, waterskins, and what little food they had, it was nearing dark, and his brother had returned with good news.

"I found a rather large cave quite close. We passed it naught a league back. It should be close enough for the lady to make it."

"Good. Dwalin, help me with her. Balin stick close." Thorin stooped down and wrapped Dis's left arm around his shoulders and Dwalin wrapped her right around his.

"What about the ponies?" Balin had asked.

Thorin grimaced, "Painful as it is to think of, we must leave them. They can slow the warg down and hopefully throw them off our trail.  
Come."

They moved quickly, yet quietly across the rocky plains. They were but a third of the way there when the howls sounded again, followed by the pounding thunder of feet against the ground.

Snarls and growls filled the air.

Balin had never heard screaming such as the ponies made when the warg began to attack ripping and tearing of their flesh filled the air and it about turned his stomach from the sound alone.

They had continued to move towards the cave during the attack until they were right in front of the mouth.

At last they had made it.

That was when Dis cried out in agony.

The labor pains were getting closer.

"Dwalin! Secure the cave! Quickly!"

Balin's brother nodded and ran into the cave with no lamp. There was no time.

"It's clear!"

Thorin brushed strands of hair from her face, "Come, Dis, lets get you laid down. I fear it won't be a soft bed, but we will try to make it as comfortable as possible for you and the little one."

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

"Yeearghh!" The scream tore through all three of the dwarf men present. A dwarf pregnancy was difficult enough without adding a warg attack and a cave to the mix, but the blood of Durin was just as strong in Dis and it was in Thorin.

She would endure.

"You are doing so well, Dis."

Dwalin stood at watch near the entrance to the cave, Grasper and Keeper both at the ready in case any Warg dare to come sniffing around.

Thorin did his best to soothe his sister as she grunted and groaned as she pushed, but Balin could see that he was truly lost. He didn't know what to do.

He looked up and locked eyes with Balin.

Balin could see his friend and leader struggling, so he nodded in assurance and when Thorin looked back down to his sister, he began to sing a slow and lulling song.

'O chì, chì mi na mórbheanna  
O chì, chì mi na còrrbheanna  
O chì, chì mi na coireachan  
Chì mi na sgoran fo cheò...'

Thorin looked up sharply, then smiled, nodding his head at the choice of song.

'Chì mi gun dàil an t-àite 'san d'rugadh mi  
Cuirear orm fàilte 'sa' chànain a thuigeas mi  
Gheibh mi ann aoidh agus gràdh nuair ruigeam  
Nach reicinn air tunnachan òir...'

'O chì, chì mi na mórbheanna  
O chì, chì mi na còrrbheanna  
O chì, chì mi na coireachan  
Chì mi na sgoran fo cheò...'

By this time, Dwalin's tenor voice had joined in, and Dis took a deep breath as the music helped to calm her.

'Chì mi ann coilltean, chì mi ann doireachan  
Chì mi ann maghan bàna is toraiche  
Chì mi na féidh air làr nan coireachan  
Falaicht' an trusgan de cheò

O chì, chì mi na mórbheanna  
O chì, chì mi na còrrbheanna  
O chì, chì mi na coireachan  
Chì mi na sgoran fo cheò...'

Dis gave a tired smile before she dropped her head to her chest and gave a grunt that turned into a scream.

Thorin moved down between her legs and nodded to his sister. "I can see the head, Dis. What do I do? You must tell me what to do, sister."

Dis rolled her eyes, "Just keep your hands down there and catch!"

He nodded and grabbed an extra blanket, preparing to meet his future niece or nephew.

Both Balin and Dwalin watched on with bated breath as with one last push and one great scream, Dis brought her child into the world.

With shaky hands, Thorin tied the cord off tightly with a strap of leather, swaddled the small infant in the blanket, and looked down into two honey colored eyes.

Dis smiled shakily at him, "Is it a boy or girl, brother?"

Thorin smiled widely for the first time since the loss of their home, tipped his head back and laughed loudly.

"A boy! It's a boy! You, my sister, have a son!"

The infant startled at the laughing, gave out a cry in protest and then was silent.

Dis laughed at the antics of the infant. "Give Fili to me. He's already being bossy, much like his uncle."

Thorin looked in awe at the infant in his arms.

"Fili. A strong name for him. You chose well, sister."

He leaned down to be level with the honey-colored eyes looking up at him. "Listen to me, my sister-son. You have the blood of Durin, the blood of great kings flowing through your veins. I swear from this day forward, Fili, I will strive to teach you all I know. I will watch and guide you as well as I can. My nephew, my heir."

With those words he handed the precious bundle to his sister and watched with a light heart as she cooed to the boy, tears in her eyes.

She was already turning out to be a great mother.

She spoke softly when the child began to fuss. "Hush now, my Fili. Hush, my son."

The line of Durin was made strong once again that day.

And when 7 years later, another infant boy, who would be name Kili, was brought into the world, dark to Fili's light; the line strengthened even more.


End file.
